(A) It is the policy of the town to discontinue utility service to customers by reason of nonpaymentof bills only after notice and a meaningful opportunity to be heard on disputed bills. The town’s form for application for utility service and all bills shall contain, in addition to the title, address, room number, and telephone number of the official in charge of billing, clearly visible and easily readable provisions to the effect:
(1) That all bills are due and payable on or before the date set forth on the bill; and
(2) That if any bill is not paid by or before the twentieth of the month of the first billing, a second bill will be mailed containing a disconnect notice that if the bill is not paid within ten days of the mailing of the second bill, service will be discontinued for nonpayment; and
(3) That any customer disputing the correctness of his or her bill shall have the right to submit a written request for an administrative hearing to the Clerk-Treasurer within five days of the disconnect notice being delivered or mailed, whichever occurs first, as well as the date, time, and location of the administrative hearing should the customer submit a timely request. The administrative hearing shall be held before the Town Council President or his or her designated representative. At the hearing, the customer may be represented by counsel or by any other person of his or her choosing and may present orally or in writing his or her complaint and contentions to the Town Council President or his or her designated representative. At the conclusion of the hearing, the Town Council President or his or her designee shall have the authority, based on good cause, to affirm, modify, or reverse the order.
(B) Requests for delays or waiver of payment will not be entertained; only questions of proper and correct billing will be considered. In the absence of payment of the bill rendered or resort to the hearing procedure provided herein, service will be discontinued at the time specified, but in no event until the charges have been due and unpaid for at least 15 days.
(C) When it becomes necessary for the town to discontinue utility service to a customer for nonpayment of bills, service will be reinstated only after all bills for service then due have been paid, along with a turn-on charge in the sum of $50.
(Ord. 2010-6, passed - -; Am. Ord. 2013-10, passed 7-15-13; Am. Ord. 2018-3, passed 4-16-18)